We are delighted to welcome back guest blogger, Craig Selinger, M.S. CCC-SLP, Speech Language Pathologist, who will share important information about speech-language therapy. Craig has nearly 20 years of experience in the field and is presently CEO and Founder of Brooklyn Letters, serving NYC metro area families with at-home in-person 1:1 specialized services.
Introduction
When most people think of speech therapy, they envision helping children pronounce words correctly. However, speech and language therapy encompasses much more than articulation. For students facing literacy, expressive language, and comprehension challenges, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) address fundamental components that impact communication and academic success. This expanded scope of therapy is crucial, especially when considering the overlap between conditions like dyslexia and other learning challenges.
Expanding the Focus: Key Components of Speech and Language Therapy
SLPs work with students on several essential areas beyond articulation to improve language processing and literacy outcomes. Here's a deeper look at the crucial components:
Phonology: The Sound Structure of Language
Phonology refers to a language's sound system and the rules for combining sounds. SLPs work with students to develop phonemic awareness, essential for decoding words and improving reading and spelling skills. Children who struggle with phonology may find it challenging to manipulate sounds within words, impacting their literacy development. This becomes even more critical when addressing dyslexia, a condition characterized by word reading difficulties.
Morphology: The Structure of Words
Morphology focuses on the smallest units of meaning in language, such as roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Research indicates that a high percentage of English words consist of multiple morphemes. For example, the word walked contains two morphemes, "walk" and "ed." Poor morphological awareness can lead to difficulties recognizing and comprehending morphologically complex words, which is common in written text. Studies show that explicit, systematic instruction in morphology can significantly enhance literacy outcomes by improving decoding and comprehension skills.
Four Components of Morphology Impacting Literacy:
- Morphological Awareness: Understanding how morphemes function in spoken and written forms aids students in decoding and comprehending unfamiliar words.
- Syntactic Morphological Knowledge: This involves recognizing how affixes, such as "un" and "ate," change parts of speech, which is crucial for reading accurately and writing effectively.
- Semantic Morphological Knowledge: Understanding the meanings of words based on their morphemic components supports comprehension.
- Orthographic/Phonological Morphological Knowledge: This knowledge helps with spelling and pronunciation, impacting overall written literacy skills.
Syntax: Sentence Structure and Grammar
Syntax refers to the arrangement of words to form meaningful sentences. It plays a significant role in reading comprehension and written expression. Written syntax is more complex than oral syntax, and understanding sentence structure, length, and complexity affects the cognitive load during reading. Research highlights that syntactic and morphological knowledge have the strongest predictive relationship with reading comprehension, making syntax a key area of focus in literacy development.
Semantics: Understanding and Using Vocabulary
Semantics involves the meaning of words and sentences. A strong semantic foundation helps students understand word relationships, multiple meanings, and contextual usage. This understanding is crucial for effective reading comprehension and expressive language skills. Explicit vocabulary instruction, as supported by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), is essential for enhancing language structure and reading outcomes.
Pragmatics: Social Use of Language
Pragmatics refers to the rules governing the use of language in social contexts. It involves understanding how to initiate and maintain conversations, use appropriate tone and gestures, and interpret social cues. Pragmatic skills are closely tied to Theory of Mind—the ability to understand and attribute thoughts, beliefs, and emotions to oneself and others. This skill is crucial for perspective-taking, which is key to social-emotional growth and effective communication.
Connecting Pragmatics to Reading Comprehension and Social-Emotional Development: Children with strong pragmatic skills are better equipped to grasp characters' perspectives and emotions in stories, enhancing their reading comprehension. Students who understand different viewpoints and emotions can engage in richer discussions about texts and build stronger connections to the material. Moreover, perspective-taking is foundational for social-emotional growth, allowing children to form meaningful relationships and respond empathetically in various situations.
Narrative Skills: Bridging Oral and Written Language
Narrative skills involve organizing and conveying information logically. Storytelling is not just about recounting events; it helps students understand sequencing, main ideas, and cause-and-effect relationships. This ability is a vital link between oral expressive language and written language development. As children improve in organizing and expressing their thoughts clearly, these skills transfer to written expression, enhancing creativity and structure in their writing. Furthermore, strong narrative abilities are closely linked to social communication skills and reading comprehension, making them a central focus in language intervention.
Spelling: A Sensitive Measure of Language-Based Skills
Spelling is not merely a mechanical skill; it is a highly sensitive measure that provides unique and detailed insights into various language-based skills involved in decoding and encoding. When assessing spelling abilities, SLPs can gain valuable data on the following components:
Spelling errors can reveal where breakdowns occur in these areas, providing SLPs with a deeper understanding of students' specific challenges. Addressing these components through targeted intervention improves spelling and strengthens overall literacy skills.
Connecting Oral and Written Language
A fundamental goal of speech and language therapy is to bridge the gap between oral and written language. Students who develop strong oral expressive language skills often find translating their thoughts into written words easier. Through structured storytelling and narrative activities, SLPs guide students in building coherent and detailed written narratives that reflect their verbal storytelling abilities.These narrative-based interventions are especially significant in the cases of dyslexia and other learning differences. While dyslexia primarily affects decoding and word recognition, students with other learning differences often struggle with organizing and expressing their ideas orally and in writing. By focusing on narrative development, SLPs help students create a cohesive link between oral and written language, essential for effective communication and academic success.
Receptive Language and Reading Comprehension
Receptive language encompasses the skills required to understand and process auditory information. This includes listening comprehension, following directions, and processing spoken language. In the context of reading comprehension, students need strong receptive language skills to decode words and understand the broader meaning of what they read.
SLPs focus on improving listening comprehension, which directly supports reading comprehension. As children enhance their ability to process auditory information and grasp spoken language, they become better equipped to understand written texts. This connection between receptive language and reading comprehension is vital for students with a wide range of learning differences, who may face challenges in both listening and reading. By targeting these foundational skills, SLPs can improve students' comprehension abilities, fostering a deeper understanding of the material they encounter in both oral and written formats.
Why Work with a Certified Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP)?
If a student has a language disorder or shows signs of dyslexia, working with a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP) with expertise in these areas is essential. SLPs have the qualifications and training to accurately assess and treat language disorders, such as expressive language disorder, mixed expressive-receptive disorder, and dyslexia. Their specialized knowledge allows them to design individualized therapy plans to improve the student's language, cognitive-communication, and literacy skills, providing targeted support that addresses current challenges and long-term development.
Importance of Explicit, Systematic Instruction
Explicit, systematic instruction is crucial to effectively addressing these areas. This involves teaching students how to decode words, understand their meanings, and recognize syntactic rules to improve reading and literacy outcomes. Instructional techniques like sentence combining, word building, and conversational recasts are more effective than isolated drills, as they embed learning within meaningful contexts.
Considerations for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students
When working with culturally and linguistically diverse students, it's important to refrain from directly translating English assessments, as differences in phonology, morphology, and syntax between languages can yield inaccurate results. Tailoring literacy assessments and interventions to the needs of diverse learners ensures accurate identification of strengths and areas needing support.
Conclusion
Speech and language therapy is far more comprehensive than correcting pronunciation. By addressing phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, narrative skills, and receptive language abilities, SLPs can significantly boost comprehension, processing, and literacy outcomes.
